At the time of this letter, Dawson was serving as a captain of the 4th Alabama Infantry regiment, and Pettus was serving as a lieutenant colonel of the 20th Alabama Infantry regiment (which he helped form).

In the letter Craig discusses a dispute over a "negro girl claimed" by one man but in the possession of another. He asks Pettus to give his input, and he encloses a copy of a letter written by one of the men involved in the disagreement.

In the letter Pettus praises the men for their obedience and valor, and he explains that they will be treated as prisoners of war until they are paroled in their home states. He encourages cooperation with the new authorities: "In this way we best...